F1 Brazilian Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying results and reaction at Interlagos
Max Verstappen required just one lap to put his Red Bull on pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The triple world champion saw off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as a huge storm brought a premature end to qualifying in Interlagos.
Verstappen finished three tenths clear of Leclerc as he chases his 17th win of a remarkable season, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso third and fourth respectively for Aston Martin.
Lewis Hamilton took fifth, one place ahead of George Russell in the other Mercedes, with Lando Norris, who waited too long in the pit lane as the downpour approached, finishing a disappointing seventh.
Follow live updates from the Brazilian Grand Prix with The Independent
F1 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING
Max Verstappen on pole position before torrential rain in Sao Paulo; Leclerc 2nd; Stroll 3rd
Alex Albon knocked out in Q2, also out: Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly, Magnussen
Daniel Ricciardo knocked out in Q1, also out: Tsunoda, Bottas, Sargeant, Zhou
Q1 delayed due to debris on track
Carlos Sainz quickest in practice; Leclerc 2nd; Russell 3rd
PREVIEW: Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
NEWS: Brazilian Grand Prix contract extended to 2030
NEWS: Toto Wolff would consider joining Jim Ratcliffe in Manchester United investment
Is Interlagos Lewis Hamilton’s best chance of ending his two-year F1 win drought?
F1 grid: Starting positions for Brazilian Grand Prix
19:59 , Kieran Jackson
Click below for the full starting grid:
F1 grid: Starting positions for the Brazilian Grand Prix
Lance Stroll after qualifying in third:
19:48 , Kieran Jackson
“The car was feeling good throughout the session. Q3 was tricky, my lap was pretty bad but enough for Q3 which is a good result.
“It’s been tricky the last couple of weekends. Today was a great day.”
"Today was a great day" 🙌
Lance Stroll reacts to qualifying P3 for the São Paulo Grand Prix 🟢 pic.twitter.com/WelnxSn3cr— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2023
Charles Leclerc after qualifying in second:
19:36 , Kieran Jackson
“Today was in my whole career I’ve never experienced something like that. Turn 4, there was no rain, but the car was very difficult to drive, there was no grip. Very difficult for everyone out on track.
“It’s always very difficult. I don’t know about the race, I hope it will be a good one.”
BREAKING: Four drivers called to the stewards!
19:33 , Kieran Jackson
Gasly, Russell, Perez and Ocon all called to the stewards for impeding in the pit lane.
We shall see...
Max Verstappen after claiming pole:
19:26 , Kieran Jackson
“We didn’t know when it would hit, this is of course insane weather! Charles and I were discussing that our laps felt terrible, we lost a lot of lap time with the wind.
“It’s all very close, I expect the same in the race.”
"This is insane weather" ⛈
Max Verstappen reacts to his pole for Sunday's Grand Prix and the hectic weather in qualifying 👇 pic.twitter.com/lVMswdztDm— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2023
TOP-10 FOR THE BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX:
19:17 , Kieran Jackson
1) Max Verstappen
2) Charles Leclerc
3) Lance Stroll
4) Fernando Alonso
5) Lewis Hamilton
6) George Russell
7) Lando Norris
8) Carlos Sainz
9) Sergio Perez
10) Oscar Piastri
It is now chucking it down!
19:14 , Kieran Jackson
Torrential rain in Interlagos now!
They'll need headlights if they go out again 😁#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/PiLcKv1iIW
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2023
RED FLAG!
19:12 , Kieran Jackson
They’ve stopped the session at 4:19 left on the clock - but race control say the session will not be resumed!
That’s the grid set, ladies and gents!
"This is super weird" 👀
Charles reacting to the changing weather in Sao Paulo 🌧 pic.twitter.com/UbV3vSHPRi— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2023
Max Verstappen will be on pole position here!
19:11 , Kieran Jackson
There’s not a chance that any cars are coming back out here, it is basically pitch black out there!
What a change in conditions! Lightning too!
Oscar Piastri off in sector three!
19:10 , Kieran Jackson
Oscar Piastri’s McLaren is off the track - but he manages to negotiate his car back onto the gravel!
The times are so slow, though! It must be slippy!
Max Verstappen is fastest with a 1:10:727, with Charles Leclerc second two-tenths down and Lance Stroll six-tenths down in third! Great result for him!
4-10: Alonso, Hamilton, Russell, Norris, Sainz, Perez, Piastri
McLaren got it all wrong, they went out too late!
And rain is now falling! That’ll probably be it! And it is so, so dark!
Q3 underway!
19:05 , Kieran Jackson
It’s a huge queue at the end of the pit lane, with rain expected in this session by the looks of the radar!
10 drivers involved: Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, Sainz, Hamilton, Russell, Norris, Piastri, Alonso, Stroll
It is so gloomy in Interlagos! There’ll need to set their time sharp-ish!
Alex Albon is out in Q2!
18:58 , Kieran Jackson
The Williams stays 15th - and there’ll be no Q3 today for Alex Albon!
Bottom-five and out in Q2 (11-15): Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly, Magnussen, Albon
Lance Stroll squeezes through in tenth - nobody in the bottom-five improved in their final laps!
Top-3: Norris, Verstappen, Perez
Pole-sitter last year Kevin Magnussen does not make it into Q3 this year!
Sergio Perez precarious in P9
18:53 , Kieran Jackson
Sergio Perez is on the verge in ninth as we head into the closing stages.
Meanwhile, Alex Albon has lost a lap for track limits, plummeting him down to P15.
Current bottom-five (11-15): Ocon, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Gasly, Albon
4:00 to go...
George Russell and the Ferraris slow with their first runs
18:47 , Kieran Jackson
Much like the start of Q1, George Russell and both Ferrari cars struggle for pace early on.
At the top is Max Verstappen, a tenth quicker than Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Lewis Hamilton P6 after the first runs.
9:00 left...
Q2 underway!
18:41 , Kieran Jackson
It’s very dark and murky overhead as we get underway with Q2 in Interlagos!
Max Verstappen this time is the first car out of the pit lane, leading a huge queue of cars out straight away!
And the clock starts counting down from 15 minutes!
Daniel Ricciardo knocked out in Q1!
18:36 , Kieran Jackson
Disappointment for both AlphaTauris... both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo are out!
Tsunoda not impressed with Lewis Hamilton on team radio, says he impeded him!
Bottom-five and out in Q1, (16-20): Tsunoda, Ricciardo, Bottas, Sargeant, Zhou
Sergio Perez was tight in P13 - and Russell went fastest overall in the end!
Top-3; Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc
Alex Albon in fourth!
18:32 , Kieran Jackson
Alex Albon looks safe, in P4, just a tenth off Charles Leclerc in first.
Current bottom-five (16-20): Ricciardo,Hulkenberg, Zhou, Magnussen, Sargeant
Lance Stroll: “Drops of rain”.
George Russell is not safe right now, in P14! Will the weather play a late part?!
Sergio Perez and the Ferraris get themselves out of trouble!
18:28 , Kieran Jackson
They’re OK for now, though the track will ramp up! And it’s also getting very murky in Interlagos.
Charles Leclerc now fastest from Oscar Piastri in second, with Lance Stroll in third! Max Verstappen down in P9.
Current bottom-five (16-20): Tsunoda, Bottas, Sargeant, Albon, Zhou
6:00 to go. Could all change yet!
George Russell to be investigated after the session
18:23 , Kieran Jackson
For potential impeding of Pierre Gasly at the end of the pit lane!
Wasn’t great, that...
⚠ The incident in the pit-lane that will be investigated after the session between George Russell and Pierre Gasly for impeding ⚠
Pierre was not happy over team radio 📻 pic.twitter.com/IzONkhB8bo— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2023
Lando Norris quickest out of the first runners!
18:22 , Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris sets the early pace, with a 1:10:623 - 0.261 secs ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second. Max Verstappen is third, but is not happy.
“My car is jumping around like a kangaroo, the same problem as Mexico,” says Verstappen.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez is in the bottom-five after the first set of laps! Current bottom-five (16-20): Sainz, Leclerc, Perez, Sargeant, Zhou
Risk of rain is 60%
18:18 , Kieran Jackson
Message from race control: risk of rain at Interlagos in qualifying is 60%.
Q1 underway in Interlagos!
18:15 , Kieran Jackson
We’re underway then with the first session of qualifying!
Oscar Piastri leads a long queue of cars out from the pit lane... are they expecting rain imminently?
Either way, a fair chunk of the field want to get on with it here!
Qualifying confirmed to start at 6:15pm (GMT)
18:12 , Kieran Jackson
The drivers are now in their cars as they get set for Q1 in three minutes!
What is a sprint race in F1 and how does qualifying shootout work?
17:56 , Kieran Jackson
Sprint race explainer:
What is a sprint race in F1 and how does qualifying shootout work?
BREAKING: Qualifying delayed by 15 minutes
17:52 , Kieran Jackson
Scrap that - qualifying has been delayed at Interlagos!
Due to debris on the track, we’ll now start at 6:15pm (GMT). The marshals are currently on the circuit, sweeping the dust away...
Driver Standings ahead of the Brazilian GP weekend:
17:52 , Kieran Jackson
1) Max Verstappen - 491 points (champion)
2) Sergio Perez - 240 points
3) Lewis Hamilton - 220 points
4) Carlos Sainz - 183 points
5) Fernando Alonso - 183 points
6) Lando Norris - 169 points
7) Charles Leclerc - 166 points
8) George Russell - 151 points
9) Oscar Piastri - 87 points
10) Pierre Gasly - 56 points
11) Lance Stroll - 53 points
12) Esteban Ocon - 45 points
13) Alex Albon - 27 points
14) Valtteri Bottas - 10 points
15) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points
16) Yuki Tsunoda - 8 points
17) Daniel Ricciardo - 6 points
18) Zhou Guanyu - 6 points
19) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points
20) Liam Lawson - 2 points
21) Logan Sargeant - 1 point
21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points
10 minutes from qualifying!
17:51 , Kieran Jackson
It’s overcast, but dry at Interlagos as we close in on qualifying for the grand prix on Sunday!
Will it be Max Verstappen on pole once more? What about Ferrari, chasing a third pole in a row?
And what about Mercedes and McLaren? It’s all to play for!
Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
17:45 , Kieran Jackson
Weekend preview by Kieran Jackson
For a career as distinguished as three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna’s, his record at his home race was peculiarly underwhelming. Having made his debut in 1984 and tasted disqualification while leading in 1988, Sao Paulo’s favourite son only claimed his first victory at Interlagos in 1991. And, like much in the Brazilian’s enthralling time in F1, it was no easy ride.
Starting on pole, Senna’s path to victory seemed nailed on until a late gearbox issue forced him to complete the final laps solely in sixth gear. With the heavens having opened too, a stall or a spin seemed excruciatingly inevitable but somehow, in a manner which would have been described as miraculous if it wasn’t Ayrton Senna’s doing, he inched home by two seconds. Physically and mentally exhausted, the hometown hero needed assistance exiting his McLaren cockpit.
Broken, but not beaten.
Read full piece below:
Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
BREAKING: Brazilian Grand Prix contract extended
17:31 , Kieran Jackson
F1 will race in Sao Paulo until 2030 after a five-year extension to the circuit’s deal with the sport!
“I am delighted to announce we will be staying at Interlagos until 2030, and I can’t wait for many more years of the wonderful atmosphere that the Brazilian fans bring,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“Brazil has such a rich racing heritage, and this iconic circuit is a favourite of drivers and fans around the world. It embodies everything that is great about racing, and we look forward to seeing how it develops over the years to come to create an even better experience.”
Aston Martin chief reacts after poor run of form: ‘Lawrence is not happy’
17:21 , Kieran Jackson
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack revealed owner Lawrence Stroll “is not happy” with the F1 team’s current run of form.
Aston were the surprise package at the start of the season, consistently the second quickest team on the grid behind Red Bull with Fernando Alonso claiming five podiums in the first six races.
However, the team’s performance has declined since the summer break and they have dropped from P2 in the constructors’ championship to P5, with Mercedes, Ferrari and now McLaren all overtaking them.
Full quotes below:
‘Lawrence is not happy’: Aston Martin chief reacts to poor run of form
Toto Wolff’s thoughts on the sprint weekend
17:09 , Kieran Jackson
"I am not keen on these weekends overall" 💬
Do you agree with Toto Wolff's thoughts on Sprint Weekend's? 🧐👇 pic.twitter.com/UtMr94MH7n— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2023
Constructors’ standings ahead of Brazilian GP weekend:
16:55 , Kieran Jackson
1) Red Bull - 731 points (champions)
2) Mercedes - 371 points
3) Ferrari - 349 points
4) McLaren - 256 points
5) Aston Martin - 236 points
6) Alpine - 101 points
7) Williams - 28 points
8) AlphaTauri - 16 points
9) Alfa Romeo - 16 points
10) Haas - 12 points
Toto Wolff would consider joining Jim Ratcliffe in Manchester United investment
16:39 , Kieran Jackson
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed he has spoken to Sir Jim Ratcliffe about joining his bid to purchase a stake in Manchester United.
Ratcliffe, is set to buy a 25 per cent shareholding in the Old Trafford club, with the deal expected to see the 71-year-old billionaire have a significant say in sporting matters.
Ineos founder Ratcliffe, along with Wolff, 51, and Ola Kallenius own a third of the Mercedes Formula One team. Mercedes team principal Wolff has overseen six of Lewis Hamilton’s seven world championships.
See more detail below:
Toto Wolff would consider joining Jim Ratcliffe in Manchester United investment
What is the race schedule?
16:29 , Kieran Jackson
(All times GMT)
Friday 3 November
Qualifying: 6pm
Saturday 4 November
Sprint shootout: 2pm
Sprint race: 6:30pm
Sunday 5 November
Race: 5pm
Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
16:13 , Kieran Jackson
Weekend preview by Kieran Jackson
For a career as distinguished as three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna’s, his record at his home race was peculiarly underwhelming. Having made his debut in 1984 and tasted disqualification while leading in 1988, Sao Paulo’s favourite son only claimed his first victory at Interlagos in 1991. And, like much in the Brazilian’s enthralling time in F1, it was no easy ride.
Starting on pole, Senna’s path to victory seemed nailed on until a late gearbox issue forced him to complete the final laps solely in sixth gear. With the heavens having opened too, a stall or a spin seemed excruciatingly inevitable but somehow, in a manner which would have been described as miraculous if it wasn’t Ayrton Senna’s doing, he inched home by two seconds. Physically and mentally exhausted, the hometown hero needed assistance exiting his McLaren cockpit.
Broken, but not beaten.
Read full piece below:
Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
FP1 RESULTS IN FULL:
15:50 , Kieran Jackson
FP1 CLASSIFICATION
A mixed-up grid in the first (and only) practice session 👀#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/k2JykXaZuX— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2023
Carlos Sainz quickest in a Ferrari one-two!
15:33 , Kieran Jackson
Carlos Sainz fastest in FP1, with a 1:11:732 - 0.108 secs quicker than his team-mate Charles Leclerc in second.
George Russell is P3, on mediums, with Nico Hulkenberg in fourth and Alex Albon fifth.
6-10: Stroll, Gasly, Zhou, Sargeant, Magnussen
Lewis Hamilton down in P12 on mediums, with Max Verstappen P16 on hards. McLaren occupying the bottom two spots... but a lot of teams approaching that session very differently in terms of approach... McLaren actually looked very quick!
Carlos Sainz goes P1 with two minutes to go
15:29 , Kieran Jackson
A quick time from the Ferrari man, with a 1:11:752, a tenth clear of George Russell.
A reminder, Ferrari have secured the last two pole positions in Mexico and Austin.
Final laps coming in now...
Alex Albon goes third-fastest
15:22 , Kieran Jackson
Alex Albon finding some pace in his Williams, going third on the leaderboard - 0.179 secs off Russell.
Oddly, Oscar Piastri was on for top spot but then came into the pits... did he have a problem?!
A new circuit for the Australian this weekend.
10 minutes to go...
It’s only practice guys!
15:17 , Kieran Jackson
CONTACT! 😳
Nico Hulkenberg doesn't see Lando Norris coming and they touch wheels 🛞 pic.twitter.com/GjB5lwAOPK— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 3, 2023
George Russell now first!
15:13 , Kieran Jackson
He was the main man last year in Interlagos with sprint and race wins - and George Russell is setting the tone this year, with a 1:11:865 the quickest time on medium tyres.
The Haas pairing of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen are a surprise duo in P2 and P3, with Fernando Alonso fourth - 0.750 secs off Russell.
5-10: Verstappen, Tsunoda, Perez, Gasly, Ocon, Hamilton
Most cars likely to switch to soft tyres now for their qualifying simulation runs... the Red Bulls for instance still have the hard tyres on.
Fernando Alonso has a puncture!
14:51 , Kieran Jackson
Is the track very dusty?
Rare for a car to get a puncture early in practice, but that’s what’s happened to the rear left tyre of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Not ideal.
Red Bull on top early on
14:44 , Kieran Jackson
The whole field on hard compound tyres early on, with Max Verstappen fastest with a 1:13:138 - 0.025 secs faster than Sergio Perez in second.
Lewis Hamilton is third-fastest, three-tenths off Verstappen, with George Russell six-tenths down in fourth.
5-10: Norris, Alonso, Ocon, Bottas, Gasly, Leclerc
All the drivers just finding their groove early on...
What is a sprint race in F1 and how does qualifying shootout work?
14:35 , Kieran Jackson
Sprint race explainer:
What is a sprint race in F1 and how does qualifying shootout work?
First practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix!
14:30 , Kieran Jackson
Here we go then, it’s time for the drivers’ one and only practice session at this
It’s overcast and windy at Interlagos, with a high chance of rain coming in for qualifying later!
Important session then!
Max Verstappen is among the first cars out at the end of the pit lane...
Driver Standings ahead of the Brazilian GP weekend:
14:26 , Kieran Jackson
1) Max Verstappen - 491 points (champion)
2) Sergio Perez - 240 points
3) Lewis Hamilton - 220 points
4) Carlos Sainz - 183 points
5) Fernando Alonso - 183 points
6) Lando Norris - 169 points
7) Charles Leclerc - 166 points
8) George Russell - 151 points
9) Oscar Piastri - 87 points
10) Pierre Gasly - 56 points
11) Lance Stroll - 53 points
12) Esteban Ocon - 45 points
13) Alex Albon - 27 points
14) Valtteri Bottas - 10 points
15) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points
16) Yuki Tsunoda - 8 points
17) Daniel Ricciardo - 6 points
18) Zhou Guanyu - 6 points
19) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points
20) Liam Lawson - 2 points
21) Logan Sargeant - 1 point
21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points
Interlagos is just 10 minutes away from seeing cars on track!
14:20 , Kieran Jackson
A reminder of the timings today: the one and only practice session is coming up at 2:30pm (GMT), ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix at 6pm.
Mercedes F1 chief announces shock departure
14:16 , Kieran Jackson
Mercedes chief technical officer Mike Elliott has announced his resignation - just months after swapping his role at the Formula 1 team.
Elliott has been with the team for 11 years and has overseen eight constructors’ world championships and seven drivers’ titles, six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg.
However, his surprise departure comes just six months after he moved back to a role based at the factory in Brackley, with James Allison returning as technical director based predominantly in the paddock.
Read more below:
Mercedes F1 chief announces shock departure
Max Verstappen on the Red bull second seat
14:08 , Kieran Jackson
"It's not up to me to decide these things" 💬
Max Verstappen on the latest rumours of Daniel Riccardo replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull 👀🗣 pic.twitter.com/67PSg6Kfui— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 2, 2023
Is Brazilian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton’s best chance of ending his two-year F1 win drought?
14:02 , Kieran Jackson
Lewis Hamilton said he does not plan on coming away empty handed from the Brazilian Grand Prix – in what could be his best chance of ending a two-year winless streak.
On Sunday, it will mark 700 days since Hamilton last won following Mercedes’ failure to provide the seven-time world champion with a machine to match Max Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull.
However, Mercedes claimed their sole victory of last season in Interlagos, with George Russell leading Hamilton home in a surprise one-two finish.
Hamilton also claimed one of the finest victories of his career here two years ago, and took his maiden world title on Brazilian soil back in 2008.
Full quotes below:
Is Brazilian GP Lewis Hamilton’s best chance of ending his two-year F1 win drought?
Constructors' standings ahead of Brazilian GP weekend:
13:52 , Kieran Jackson
1) Red Bull - 731 points (champions)
2) Mercedes - 371 points
3) Ferrari - 349 points
4) McLaren - 256 points
5) Aston Martin - 236 points
6) Alpine - 101 points
7) Williams - 28 points
8) AlphaTauri - 16 points
9) Alfa Romeo - 16 points
10) Haas - 12 points
Aston Martin chief reacts after poor run of form: ‘Lawrence is not happy’
13:36 , Kieran Jackson
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack revealed owner Lawrence Stroll “is not happy” with the F1 team’s current run of form.
Aston were the surprise package at the start of the season, consistently the second quickest team on the grid behind Red Bull with Fernando Alonso claiming five podiums in the first six races.
However, the team’s performance has declined since the summer break and they have dropped from P2 in the constructors’ championship to P5, with Mercedes, Ferrari and now McLaren all overtaking them.
Full quotes below:
‘Lawrence is not happy’: Aston Martin chief reacts to poor run of form
Driver Standings ahead of the Brazilian GP weekend:
13:22 , Kieran Jackson
1) Max Verstappen - 491 points (champion)
2) Sergio Perez - 240 points
3) Lewis Hamilton - 220 points
4) Carlos Sainz - 183 points
5) Fernando Alonso - 183 points
6) Lando Norris - 169 points
7) Charles Leclerc - 166 points
8) George Russell - 151 points
9) Oscar Piastri - 87 points
10) Pierre Gasly - 56 points
11) Lance Stroll - 53 points
12) Esteban Ocon - 45 points
13) Alex Albon - 27 points
14) Valtteri Bottas - 10 points
15) Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points
16) Yuki Tsunoda - 8 points
17) Daniel Ricciardo - 6 points
18) Zhou Guanyu - 6 points
19) Kevin Magnussen - 3 points
20) Liam Lawson - 2 points
21) Logan Sargeant - 1 point
21) Nyck de Vries - 0 points
Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
13:15 , Kieran Jackson
Weekend preview by Kieran Jackson
For a career as distinguished as three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna’s, his record at his home race was peculiarly underwhelming. Having made his debut in 1984 and tasted disqualification while leading in 1988, Sao Paulo’s favourite son only claimed his first victory at Interlagos in 1991. And, like much in the Brazilian’s enthralling time in F1, it was no easy ride.
Starting on pole, Senna’s path to victory seemed nailed on until a late gearbox issue forced him to complete the final laps solely in sixth gear. With the heavens having opened too, a stall or a spin seemed excruciatingly inevitable but somehow, in a manner which would have been described as miraculous if it wasn’t Ayrton Senna’s doing, he inched home by two seconds. Physically and mentally exhausted, the hometown hero needed assistance exiting his McLaren cockpit.
Broken, but not beaten.
Read full piece below:
Ayrton Senna’s dazzling genius endures – but where’s the next Brazilian F1 star?
BREAKING: Brazilian Grand Prix contract extended
13:11 , Kieran Jackson
F1 will race in Sao Paulo until 2030 after a five-year extension to the circuit’s deal with the sport!
“I am delighted to announce we will be staying at Interlagos until 2030, and I can’t wait for many more years of the wonderful atmosphere that the Brazilian fans bring,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“Brazil has such a rich racing heritage, and this iconic circuit is a favourite of drivers and fans around the world. It embodies everything that is great about racing, and we look forward to seeing how it develops over the years to come to create an even better experience.”
What is the race schedule?
13:08 , Kieran Jackson
(All times GMT)
Friday 3 November
Free practice 1: 2:30pm
Qualifying: 6pm
Saturday 4 November
Sprint shootout: 2pm
Sprint race: 6:30pm
Sunday 5 November
Race: 5pm
F1 Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying!
13:07 , Kieran Jackson
F1 returns to Interlagos for the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend – and the sixth and final sprint race of the season.
Max Verstappen won his 16th grand prix of an incredible season last time out in Mexico City, with Lewis Hamilton coming home second and pole-sitter Charles Leclerc completing the podium.
Leclerc stayed in the race despite a first-lap collision with Sergio Perez which resulted in the Mexican’s retirement. Lando Norris made up 12 places for an incredible recovery drive in his McLaren, jumping from 17th to fifth.
Mercedes’ George Russell won his first F1 race last year on a jubilant weekend for the Brit in Brazil. Interlagos once again hosts a sprint weekend; Max Verstappen won the last sprint race in Austin two weeks ago.
